KU Baseball Wins First Regular Season Conference Title Since 1949

For the first time in nearly 80 years, the Kansas baseball program finds itself atop the conference standings after the No. 14 ranked Jayhawks narrowly defeated BYU 7-6 at Miller Park in Provo, Utah, on Friday night.

The win, plus the loss by No. 9 West Virgina to TCU, gave the Jayhawks the Big 12 crown outright. It’s the first conference title for the KU baseball program since 1949 when the Jayhawks won the Big Seven Conference under then head coach William “Red” Hogan.

The win gives KU just its fourth conference title in school history (2026, 1949, 1924, 1923).

THE KANSAS JAYHAWKS ARE YOUR BIG 12 CHAMPIONS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/nd5J4C7tIJ
— Kansas Baseball (@KUBaseball) May 16, 2026

Kansas now owns 22 conference victories on the season (extending the school record set in Thursday’s win) and moves the Jayhawks to 39-15 overall. Friday’s win also gives KU 20 road wins on the season – matching a school record – and their eighth conference series win of the year, which sets a new school record.

The Big 12 title is the crowning achievement thus far of head coach Dan Fitzgerald’s career at Kansas. The 2025 Big 12 Coach of the Year has led KU to rapid growth of these past four years and has now left his mark on the university for years to come.

"It feels pretty good. I'm so proud of these guys," Kansas head coach Dan Fitzgerald said. "This is four years in the making. It's our families, it's all of our wives. It's the entire Jayhawk Nation, it's our administration and it's hundreds of people who have led to this moment. It's pretty special."

What it Means Going Forward

The Jayhawks have solidified the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big 12 Tournament, which begins Tuesday, May 19, in Surprise, Arizona – the spring training home of the Kansas City Royals. As the top seed, KU will play its first game of the tournament on Thursday against the game winner of the No. 8 seed versus either the No. 9 or No. 12 seed.

The Big 12 crown also likely secures the Jayhawks a spot as a regional host (No. 1 seed) in the NCAA Tournament, which begins May 29. That means all of KU’s games in the regional stage (first round) of the tournament will be played in Lawrence at Hoglund Ballpark – eliminating travel and giving the Jayhawks a big homefield advantage against their (to be determined) opponents.

But first, KU will finish off their three-game series against BYU on Saturday with a chance to make more history with another win. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.

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